Pivotal Issues Blog

By: Laurie Bedord Endless statistics are involved in baseball. Earned run average, batting average, and runs batted in all fill an important role in evaluating a player’s progress. Like baseball, farming can focus on numbers that, if gathered and used correctly, add understanding to what is seen in the field. “In my 20-plus years in […]

Dave Eckhoff, Southeast Minnesota Sales Manager for Heartland AG Systems says proper application equipment can support your weed management plan. “Today, we have machinery with large tank capacities,” Eckhoff says. Read More

By: Laurie Bedord Greg Setter has climbed the ladder on his grain bins for years, in all types of weather, without incident. With every step taken, the chore has become second nature to the Canadian farmer. As he ascends and descends, Setter also knows it is one of the most dangerous tasks he performs. “In […]

By: Laurie Bedord Zach Hunnicutt doesn’t like going inside a dirty, hot grain bin, but he does – and quite often. At minimum, the Nebraska farmer enters 11 grain bins five times a year to manage stored grain. “That’s at least 55 times a year our friend runs the risk of not coming out alive,” […]

By: Megan Schilling The power of the sun captured passively in solar arrays boosts energy independence and economic returns on the farm. While solar has been cost-prohibitive to farmers in the past, the rising cost of electricity and the dropping cost of solar installation has created a compelling crossroads. Now, the investment and payback make […]

By: Jodi Henke Building net worth in your farm business happens by retaining earnings in the business, contributing equity from off-farm income, or by inflation from the value of the farm assets. The retained earnings will generate additional income in future years for retirement or to help the next generation run the farm business. Kelvin […]

By: Jodi Henke Agriculture and our food supply heavily depend on bees for pollination. Tracking bee population trends is the goal of a research assistant professor at Kansas State University. Brian Spiesman says identifying bees can be very difficult without specialized training. He developed a website called “BeeMachine” that uses artificial intelligence to identify specific […]

By: Betsy Freese Robert Saik, ag futurist and CEO of AGvisorPRO, says he is building his next company based on the assumption that rural broadband will sweep across the world soon. “Whether it’s Bezos or Musk or Loon, somebody will crack the code and we will have connectivity on the farm to connect everything together, […]

By: Laurie Bedford Today’s tough economic climate means farmers likely will be hesitant to deploy new technologies. As farmers focus on near-term cash flow vs. maximizing profit long term, Aaron Rudberg predicts there may be a short-term slowdown in technology adoption. “We believe the top-performing farmers will continue to look for digital solutions that improve […]